Bike/coffee shop opening off trail in Cecil

Published Apr 6, 2013 at 8:50 am
(Updated Apr 6, 2013 at 8:50 am)

From left, Tandem Connection owners Lori Poe, David Poe and Seth Fosmire recently opened their bike and snack shop along Montour Trail. Another owner, Laurie Fosmire, is not pictured.
Katie Roupe/Observer-ReporterOrder a Print

A bicycle rental and coffee shop, Tandem Connection will have its grand opening April 13-14. There will be live music, raffles and kids activities at the Cecil Township shop, which serves the nearby Montour Trail at the intersection of Morganza and Georgetown roads.

It will be the only bike rental site on the trail in Washington County.

Unofficially, the business opened Labor Day weekend, days after couples Seth and Laurie Fosmire and David and Lori Poe closed on the purchase of a century-old building that was originally a mining company store. It was used for other purposes in recent times.

“We set up a tent where we had rentals and snacks,” said Seth Fosmire, a Trinity High School graduate.

That lasted until cold weather became entrenched. In the meantime, the new owners undertook the necessary – and widespread – renovations to the building, pushing the grand opening back to mid-April.

“This will be a full-fledged bike shop,” Fosmire said. Bike rental and storage will be available in the 10,000-square-foot building, where trail-related merchandise such as hats and T-shirts will be sold. There also will be culinary attractions such as coffee, 16 ice cream flavors, barbecued items and snacks.

The shop will be near the Morganza-Georgetown bridge that opened on the trail in August. Fosmire said the Montour Trail Council owns a small section of the shop’s parking lot.

He and David Poe became acquainted years ago while cycling on the trail. Fosmire said Poe once suggested “it would be nice to have a bike shop” near the trail.

Fosmire also works in sales and marketing, his wife is a Christian school employee, Poe is a videographer and Lori Poe is a varsity track coach at Chartiers Valley High School.